Trainman&#39;s flag and container



H- HJOLSEN.

TRAINMANS FLAG AND CONTAINER. APPLICATION F|L ED JUNE 18, I9I7- RENEWEDFEB. 28,1921. 1,394,933. Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

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UNITED STATES HARRY oLsEN, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

TRAINMANS FLAG AND CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Application filed June 18, 1917, Serial No. 176,638. Renewed February28, 1921. Serial No. 448,336.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, I'IARRY H. OLSEN, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Minneapolis, in thecounty of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in a Trainma-ns Flag and Container, of which thefollowing is a specification.

At the present time the laws for regulation of interstate train serviceand the laws of various states require that a train man be sent backwith a signal flag when a train is halted in variation with itsschedule.

It is also required, in some instances, that a trainman carry with him,not only a sig nal flag, but torpedoes, and at night he must carry asignal fusee.

Irrespective of the laws, however, for a proper safe guarding of humanlives, the trainman should carry with him whenever he is sent back forsignaling, means for signaling under any possible condition that mayarise, and it is often required that the flag man carry, not only aflag, but a fusee and a pocket full of torpedoes, each and every time heis sent back on an unexpected stopping of a train.

My invention contemplates broadly thev embodiment of a train mans flag,a fusee container, a torpedo container, a supply of matches for lightingthe fusee, and positive means for the ignition of safety matches, allcombined into one device.

The invention furthermore contemplates the use of a large handle adaptedfor slipping over the arm so that the trainman may use both hands inboarding a train.

One object of my invention is to provide a flag and flag stick havingmeans for readily detaching a flag from the stick for changing fia S.

I nother object of my invention is'to provide a flag stick in containerform so as to carry therein a fusee.

Another object of invention is to provide a flag stick in container formto carry therein one or more signal torpedoes.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a container form offiagstick, means for carrying a. supply of matches.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a flag stick, carryingtherein means for holding a supply of matches, means protected from theWeather for striking safety matches thereon.

Another object of my invention is to provide 1n a container form of flagstick for fusees, means for preventing the spike of the fusee frompuncturing the bottom of the container.

Another object of my invention is to provlde means for rendering weatherproof, a container form of flag stick.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a device of the classdescribed, an enlarged carrying handle so the device may be'carried onthe arm.

IVith these and incidental objects in View, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction and combination of parts, theessential elements'of which are hereinafter described with reference tothe drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing, Figure l is an isometric View of my improved trainmansflag and container; Fig. 2 is a conventional sectional View of the same;Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33, Fig. 2; and Fig. 1 is asection taken on the line 4l--4, Fig. 2.

In my preferred construction the flag 1, Fig. 1, is attached by anysuitable means to a wire 2, Fig. 3, adapted to slide into the receivingtube 3 having a slit aperture 1 running longitudinally thereof.

' A cap 5, Fig. 2, preferably hinged to the fusee container 6 andclosing thereon with a snap 7, closes not only the aperture of the fuseecontainer but also the open end of the tube 3 so the wire 2, carryingflag 1, is held securely in the slitted trough.

The fusee 8, Fig. 2, is of ordinary construction and fits the container6, and a pair of lugs, 9, are provided in such fashion that the spike 10of the fusee passes between the lugs, but the lugs restrain any furthermotion of the fusee body.

Positioned concentrically about the fusee container 6 is a handle 11, adisk 12 serving to close the end of the fusee container 6 as well as topartition the container formed by the handle 11.

An annular chamber 18 is thus formed about the inner end of the fuseecontainer 6 for the reception of the matches, preferably of the safetytype, and a cover plaie 14:, slidably mounted in the handle 11, as shownin Fig. 1, allows access to the match chamber 18.

Below the partition 12 the handle provides a container for receivingsignal torpedoes of ordinary and standard type, and the end of thiscontainer is closed by hinged cap 16 latchable with a snapl'i, Fig. l.

Hinged to the lower end of thehandle 11 is curved plate 18 latchable' inits closed position by wire 19 slid into engagement with a catch 20 andcarrying on its inner surface 21 a chemical preparation of ordinary typefor igniting thereon safety matches. 1

Securely fastened in any suitable hinged manner to ears 22 is a handleor bail 23 of sufliciently' large diameter'that it may readily becarried over the trainmans arm so it is not necessary for him to carrythe flag by the handle 11 on returning to board the train,'but he caninstead slip his arm through the enlargedhandle 23 and have bothhandsfree to assist him in safely climbing-aboard the train.

WVhile I have described by invention and illustrated'it in one design, Ido not wish it understood that I limit myself to this construction, asit is evident that my invention may be varied in many ways withinthe'scope of the following claims.

Claims fusees, a compartment for signal torpedoes concentric therewithand carried thereby, a closure for. the inner end of said fuseecompartment closing also said signal torpedo compartment, forming on oneside of said closure an annular space for matohesand on'the other side achamber for signal ton 1. A container having a compartment for means fordetachably connecting a-flagj stick I to said container. HARRY H,;OLSEN.

